Salsas and dips don’t have to boring in both flavor and color. Ciara Hyatt, our food columnist from Homemade Takeout, created this bold dip for a night of fireworks in the sky and on everyone’s chips:

When my sister recently had a 4th of July party, I offered to bring chips and dips. I usually do homemade salsa and guacamole, but this time I wanted to add something a little different to the mix.

There are so many different kinds of dips and salsas, from sweet to savory. And since I had some fresh corn in my house, I thought it would be fun to try that and see what I came up with.

It turned out to be a great success at the party, and it is definitely one I’ll add to my recipe book.

This dip is very versatile too, I paired it with blue corn chips but you can use regular tortilla chips, or it would be really great on top of grilled chicken or with shrimp fajitas, or perfect for a taco salad.

I started by soaking the corn in water and then putting it on the grill to get the charred flavor into the dip. I also roasted the red pepper but you can easily put them in the oven for a few minutes under the broiler and get a similar effect.

I always suggest to get creative in the kitchen. This and so many recipes can be changed up to suit your taste buds the best. If you prefer a little more or less heat, then just the recipe adjust accordingly or if you don’t care for onions, just omit them.

You may be surprised with what you come up with, and like me, you may have a new dip to bring to parties from now on!

Ingredients:

3 ears of corn, roasted on the grill or oven to get a charred effect, cool, shuck, and cut off the cob
1 can black beans, drained
1 red bell pepper, roasted and diced
1/2 small red onion, diced
1 bunch of cilantro, chopped
1 jalapeño, seeded and diced (depending on desired spice, you can start with 1/2 and add more of you like)
1 small can of rotel
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp sugar
2 tsp cumin
Salt and pepper, to taste
Stir and let sit in fridge for at least an hour so all the flavors soak together.